Hot Topics:

Sports

CSU secondary aims for some clarity

Defensive backs gave up 33 TDs last season

By Mike Brohard

Reporter-Herald

Posted:
03/27/2014 11:20:51 PM MDT

Updated:
03/27/2014 11:21:17 PM MDT

Colorado State defensive backs DeAndre Elliott, left, and Tyree Simmons combined to make 12 starts last year and will be in competition for starting jobs this year. (Steve Stoner / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

FORT COLLINS — A failure to communicate can be funny at times.

Just by asking, "Who's on first?", Bud Abbott and Lou Costello hit a comedy gold mine.

But if you're a football coach and the punchline is 33 touchdowns allowed through the air, the miscommunication is no laughing matter. It wasn't to Jim McElwain, whose only solace was the fact his Colorado State unit didn't rank dead last in the category in 2013, repeatedly thanking Idaho (40 allowed) for keeping his Rams out of the basement.

For him, what it came down to was a lack of communication. Sure, Abbott answered the question, but it was funny when Costello didn't get it because his question was the answer. So, while one member of the Rams secondary was barking out a call, it just didn't matter when the rest of the crew didn't get the message and somebody was either left out on an island or didn't know where it was in the first place.

Colorado State safety Trent Matthews, right, lines up against defensive back Brandon Henrie during football practice on Tuesday at the team's on-campus practice field. The Rams' secondary wants to use the spring to clear up some issues that led to 33 passing touchdowns allowed in 2013. (Steve Stoner / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

"It was huge, especially in the bowl game," said starting safety Trent Matthews, his team able to withstand a six-touchdown day by Connor Halliday of Washington State in the New Mexico Bowl. "I felt communication was the key. We started off good in the beginning of the season, but we could have done a lot better at the end of the season. This spring really tells us we have to be more consistent with the communication."

The Rams had three games all year in which they didn't allow a touchdown pass, and two of them led into the bowl game. But they also allowed five passing touchdowns each to Boise State and UTEP, and three other opponents threw for three scores. Overall, CSU gave up 275.7 yards per game through the air.

Advertisement

McElwain noted a better pass rush will help. True, but Colorado State wasn't horrible in the category, finishing in the top half of the nation (46th at 2.29 per outing). The team actually loses less than half of that production, even with the departure of leader Shaquil Barrett (12), the Mountain West defender of the year.

It will also help, McElwain said, if the opponent doesn't know what the Rams are thinking.

"I think the communication between the corners and the safeties has to get better, and I think our disguise and our ability to disguise has got to get a lot better," he said as spring drills began. "What I mean by that is, you show your hand too quick, they're going to check into something else. I don't think we did a great job of that a year ago. Part of it was letting each other know what the check was and getting confirmation."

Co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Al Simmons said the art of the disguise can be difficult to learn, and where the Rams struggled last year was taking the bait of a fake snap call and showing their hand, a particular problem against no-huddle offenses such as Tulsa.

The players believe the spring provides the ideal setting to work on such breakdowns. There is no particular opponent to prepare for on Saturday, no real new install to clutter the mind.

Just simple he said, he heard and moving forward.

"There's less pressure in the spring, and it's always good to improve on the communication part," corner DeAndre Elliott said. "That's a big key to the defense. If everybody is talking, everybody knows what they're doing and we're reaffirming it after the communication, then we're all on the same page as a unit.

"Communication lacked sometimes, some games. We've got the spring to improve on that."

Eventually, the act has to be taken into noisy stadiums, so Simmons said the players are using hand signals in spring. Deep down, he believes the players knew what they were supposed to do, but when the offense made checks, not every defender was in the same train of thought. He could see on film instances where a call was made, but there was no signal returned to confirm.

"A lot of them we did execute, but there was no affirmation or confirmation," Simmons said. "Obviously, we had some busts as well, especially in Game One last year."

The final game was a doozy, too, but Simmons said that was more on the eyes, players seeing what was coming.

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

It didn't take long for Denver music observers to notice Plume Varia. Husband and wife Shon and Cherie Cobbs formed the band only two years ago, but after about a year they started finding themselves on best-of lists and playing the scene's top venues. Full Story